The Government’s Special Representative for Drug and Addiction Issues, Burkhard Blienert, observes a growing ecstasy consumption among teenagers.
“‘Ecstasy is currently experiencing a hype among teenagers,’ said the SPD politician to Ippen-Media. ‘This is extremely alarming.’ In recent years, the consumption has strongly increased. ‘We are talking about a nearly 71% increase in a decade,’ Blienert said.”
The recently published drug report Reitox, presented by the Federal Drug Commissioner along with the German Observation Centre for Drugs and Addiction, concludes that ‘ecstasy is the most widely used substance among the age groups of 12 to 17 years old,’ with 0.6% of the group having consumed ecstasy within a year. Ecstasy is thus the most consumed illegal drug in this age group (excluding cannabis).
According to Blienert, the reasons for this are multifaceted: ‘This is partly due to young people’s curiosity or peer pressure, and partly because we live in a performance-based society, and some people, even at a very young age, seek a ‘kick’ to escape their daily routine.’
This is dangerous. ‘This can also lead to poisonings and fatalities due to overdoses among teenagers. Moreover, the substances are becoming more potent.’ Therefore, a stronger prevention at schools is needed. ‘Only those who understand what drugs can do to the body may perhaps refrain from using them,’ Blienert explained.